Severus' Desire
by Liz Jean Tonks
Summary: AU about Severus Snape sending the sword of Gryffindor to Harry. He uses the Mirror of Erised./Part of The International Wizarding School Championship


Thanks to my Betas, Tyeth and ZACHDABOSSSS.

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**A/N:** Part of the The International Wizarding School Championship

School: Beauxbatons, Year 7

Theme: Expecto Patronum

Prompt: (object) Mirror of Erised.

Word Count: 1630

This is an AU about how Severus sent the sword of Gryffindor to Harry.

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It was night. Severus' steps were echoing through the entire corridor. No sound interrupted him. Everyone was asleep.

Severus paused, taking a moment to look around. So deserted, so calm… a paradox with the storm brewing outside… He wondered how the students must feel… Apprehensive? Worried?

Severus remembered his own days as a student, when it had been him who had to be careful not to be caught by teachers at nighttime. He remembered Lily with a sad smile on his face.

He had to focus. He mustn't get carried away.

He doubted the Carrows would be out at this time of night, but he was still careful. He didn't want them to get suspicious. Of course, as headmaster he had all the rights to be walking around the castle as he pleased. He couldn't help but smile at the thought.

Had he ever dared to imagine that he might return to school as a teacher or even as Headmaster? But the smile faded as he remembered too well what had brought him to be teaching, and who had appointed him as Headmaster.

Severus looked outside, his mind drifting to Potter, wondering where the boy might be. If he hurried, nothing should go wrong.

He glanced over his shoulder once more, then he turned right. If Severus was not mistaken, the Room of Requirement should be right down this corridor. Severus couldn't stop wondering why he had never found it. How come even the Potter boy had discovered it during his time at school while he himself, in spite of being in real need of it, had never crossed the door's path?

Severus looked at the blank wall,here it was, the Room of Requirement. Or it should be, at least. But like his predecessor had always said, the castle had secrets one person alone could hardly discover...

Taking a deep breath, Severus closed his eyes.

_He needed a place to see…. Find out where the boy was…Send him what he needed..._

He blinked and opened the eyes again. To his amazement, a door had indeed appeared on the stones. A door, that was swinging open… It was just how Dumbledore had described it. Still not quite sure if he could believe his luck – Dumbledore, after all, had said the room wasn't easy to besummoned. Well, it had been quite easy, hadn't it?

Surely the more demanding part was still to come, when he had to look into the mirror, when he had to persuade it to show him what he needed, to reveal where the sword was hidden.

He entered the room and looked around, astonished. It was almost completely empty except for the mirror at the end of the room, and a photograph at the wall.

Severus frowned, looking first at the mirror – he was eager to examine it, but the photograph seemed to be calling out to him.

He struggled to fight off the tears as he approached the picture, recognizing the red hair and green eyes from a distance.

The picture showed a young Lily Evans, smiling into the camera, and himself, a sheepish and uncertain. They were standing in front of the black lake, the waves splashing in the picture.

Severus swallowed. He mustn't think of Lily now.

He had figured out the plan ages ago, but suddenly he started to doubt its success. There were still too many things he was uncertain about, too many things that were designed for failure. Tthen again there was no alternative. Dumbledore trusted him with this, and he would not for Dumbledore or for Potter: for Lily. Finally, Severus ripped himself away from the photograph and to the mirror.

The golden letters spelled out strange words: 'Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi', the mirror face smooth and glistening. Severus stared at the phrase for several seconds before glancing away. He doubted that there was a need for him to look inside to know what it would show, and he feared what would happen if he couldn't resist the image… What if he got lost inside it, and lost himself in addiction to Lily?

He knew his wish was foolish: the desire to bring Lily back to the living was as childish as it was tormenting. But Severus would look into the mirror of Erised. If he didn't succeed because his Patronus wasn't strong enough he would never forgive himself, nor would Albus.

'_Dumbledore's dead!'_ a small voice in his head reminded him. _Dead by your hand_.. No, not those thoughts too! He desperately needed to concentrate. He was Severus Snape and he could stay focused

Turning to the mirror and taking a deep breath, Severus looked into its reflective surface, a small knot tying his stomach. '_The mirror must show me the sword,' _he thought, '_must show me where it is hidden. It has been safe until now; but, now it is time for it to be used.'_

What Severus saw almost toppled him off his feet. It was not the sword, . it was the red-haired girl: Lily, the first time he had seen her; Lily and himself at school riding the Hogwarts Express; Lily being sorted into Slytherin; Lily and himself, together, fighting against the rest of the world.

'_Potter.' _A little groan escaped Severus' pale lips. …His hand was trembling, forgotten was the spell he had wanted to master. He wanted to get his mind rid of Potter, and he looked into the mirror once more: Lily, grown-up and alive, mastering spells; the Potter's grave with only the father's name on it; Lily, casting a doe, a Patronus.

This was what brought Severus' thoughts back on track. The doe, that was why he was in the Room of Requirement.

Snape needed to think of the sword. His brain told him to go away, to leave the mirror, to not to get lost in thoughts about Lily. This was not the time to let his heart decide . Yet, he wished to see her once more, to look into her eyes. His bony hand reached out towards the image of Lily, but all his fingers felt was the cold of the glass. But that was all he needed to bring his mind back to reality - with all the courage he could muster, he stepped back from the mirror.

He had been thinking of Lily too much. Lily must not be what he desired right now.

'_Yet she always will be my deepest wish.'_

Severus rubbed his eyes. What was his greatest desire?

To make sure Lily hadn't died in vain.

This meant, to keep her son safe.

Potter wanted to kill the Dark Lord.

Thus he, Severus Snape, had to provide him with it.

That had to be his desire.

He repeated these phrases in his head, over and over again. His eyes did not flicker to the photograph on the wall. In his mind, he saw the sword, how he would give it to Potter, how he would ensure the fall of the Dark Lord.

Then, Severus looked into the mirror.

This time it did not show him Lily; for a second, disappointment grew within Severus – hadn't he wished, deep down, that it might still show him her face? Obviously not, because what Severus saw was nothing else than the sword of Gryffindor, in all its beauty: And he also saw himself, holding it, sending it to Potter.

Mirror-Snape showed Severus how it was done; all he did was to raise his wand, flicker it, and in the mirror, a Patronus appeared – and with the Patronus, the sword appeared out of nowhere.

The real Severus gasped; Dumbledore had mentioned the Patronus, had asked questions if he was capable of conjuring one (Severus had felt more than underestimated by this request), but he had not thought it might be just as simple – casting a Patronus that could carry the sword to its needed place, to the boy...

Severus looked down to his hands, he had almost forgotten the wand he carried. Could this be the reason he needed?

Snape's reflection smiled, almost shyly, at him and nodded. The Patronus in the mirror was gliding away, the sword on its back.

It took Severus a fraction of a second to come up with a memory. e saw Lily and himself, next to each other. Lily was smiling at him, and she happily held up her wand, pointing at the Hogwarts Express. Lily, beautiful Lily.

Severus didn't worry that if the memory might not be strong enough– he could feel its power, so much so that he thought himself invincible.

Raising his wand into the air, he shouted into the silence, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" And at the same moment, Severus felt the cold metal in his hands. The handle, the blade, the rubies… the Sword of Gryffindor.

Meanwhile, the doe was circling him, the entire room filled itself with its warmth and hope.

The doe approached Severus, bowing its head slightly. With a flash, the Patronus jumped over the Headmaster, taking the sword with it.

Mouth open, Severus starred after the doe as it glided out of the window, away from the castle taking the sword with it.

Severus looked into the mirror again, it was all empty now. He looked down on his hands. He had always praised himself for being able to conjure a Patronus (yet always quiet when he was with Death Eaters) but never had he thought about the actual, the true powers the Patronus Charm brought along.

Just like the castle magic always seemed to hide more than you would think it would.


End file.
